The basic output characteristics, external appearance, dimensions, and other such features of an engine are generally ensured by performing various inspections in each step before assembly, during assembly, and after completion. Examples of methods of inspection during the assembly of an engine are disclosed in JP-2001-349806A and JP-2003-228409A.
In the industrial engine completion inspection method disclosed in JP-2001-349806A, during the assembly of the engine, a conveying platform on which a crankcase is mounted is moved from the assembly line to an inspecting location and the crankcase is inspected, and then the conveying platform on which the crankcase is mounted is returned back to the assembly line.
In the industrial engine completion inspection method disclosed in JP-2003-228409A, historical problem data during production that are found by the inspection during the assembly of the engine is stored in a database according to the engine number, and in the subsequent sampling inspection step, the occurrence of problem historical data is searched for by using the engine number as a search key, and an additional inspection is performed if problem historical data is found.
Since an industrial engine among engines is the power source mounted in operating machines and various other devices, the output characteristics of such an engine must conform to the characteristics required by each of these devices.
In general inspection methods, in addition to inspecting the basic output characteristics of the individual industrial engines when the completion of the industrial engine is inspected, the inspector also makes adjustments so that the output characteristics required by the device mounted with the industrial engine are achieved, and confirms the results of these adjustments. Furthermore, operating noise, noise signals, and other conditions developed by the industrial engine are determined by the inspector via a sensory inspection.
However, there is a limit to increasing the precision of the inspection results, because an inspection method that requires manual operations by the inspector is subject to individual differences, and nonuniformities can occur in the inspection results. Moreover, man-hours increase with manual operations, causing the inspection costs to increase.
In view of this, there is a need for techniques whereby the precision of the inspection results is improved and the inspection costs can be reduced in industrial engine completion inspection methods.